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CAPE TOWN - Earlier in 2012 we reported on the Western Cape government releasing another series of crash videos to highlight road safety in the province. Now the Cape's irresponsible drivers being put under the spotlight in a "name and shame" campaign.

The Cape Argus newspaper, under its group's 'Lead SA' campaign, has published a list of 56 drivers convicted of "driving under the influence" of drugs and/or alcohol.

The "Hall of Shame" lists drivers who were recently sentenced in Western Cape criminal courts for driving over the legal alcohol limit or under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs.

BANNED FOR 20 YEARS

The names were handed over to the provincial transport department for capture on the Electronic National Administration Traffic Information System (eNatis).

Parow had the most offenders, followed by Delft and Elsies River.

The worst offender was Sabilo Stengana, from Caledon, who was found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol and jailed for two years. His driving licence was suspended for 20 years.

Wheels24 says:

Court reporting used to tell both sides of the story - and a qualified reporter was at court. Simply publishing folks' names in a list without the circumstances or mitigation is just poor reporting.

We ask: Will the Cape Argus and its sister publications now make it a practice to report ALL local court proceedings so Joe Public can know not only that he is living next door to a bad driver but also a thief, a fraudster, a violent or sexual offender, a debt defaulter, an exhibitionist, an extortionist, a drunkard, a child-beater, burglar, rapist or animal abuser?

Which, after all, is the reason court reporting existed in the first place.

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